Mental Disorders - Types, Causes

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Mental development disorder

Mental developmental disorder is a mental state characterized by a slower pace of personality formation and mental functions, as well as impairments in mental and cognitive ability.

Symptoms and causes of mental development disorders

Mental developmental disorders occur most often in infancy and childhood. These psychological disorders are associated with various factors, trauma and pathologies.

The main causes of mental development disorders are:

• hereditary pathologies of the brain;
• chromosomal diseases;
• cerebral defects;
• epileptic syndrome;
• lesions and pathology of the central nervous system;
• brain tumors;
• hydrocephalus;
• severe diseases of the nervous system and neurocutaneous syndromes;
• hereditary endocrine diseases;
• somatic pathologies;
• disorders and diseases of the sense organs;
• lack of upbringing and pedagogical neglect.

Mental developmental disorders in children are manifested in the form of underdevelopment, damage to personal development and lack of self-determination, impossibility of mental development and problems with cognition, psychopathy and distortions (autism).

The most serious causes of mental development disorders are hereditary, biological, social and psychogenic factors.

Disorders of mental development in children are expressed in a significant developmental lag behind their peers, a slowdown in mental formation, a mismatch in behavior and perception with age norms. These disorders begin to manifest at an early age and are often associated with brain dysfunction.

When determining the causes of mental development disorders, it is necessary to take into account the child's temperament, the presence of somatic and cerebral pathologies, emotional state and deprivation.

The biological causes of disorders include pathologies during pregnancy, prematurity, birth and postnatal injuries, somatic diseases and brain injuries.

Mental developmental disorders can be caused by social factors, including lack of attention and separation from the mother, social isolation, lack of upbringing, education and development, unfavorable conditions in the family and society.

Types of mental development disorders

Mental disorders are classified into several types.

The main types of mental development disorders include:

• dysontogenesis, including damaged, delayed and distorted development;
• irreversible mental underdevelopment;
• disharmonious mental development;
• degenerative mental development associated with epilepsy and other diseases;
• pathological mental development caused by mental and somatic pathologies.

There are also types of mental developmental disorders in the schizophrenic process: asynchrony, retardation and mental retardation.

In some cases, clinical forms of impairment appear, including acceleration, infantilism, autism, and somatopathy.

Separately, in medicine, mental development disorders associated with the type of oligophrenia are distinguished - uncomplicated, neurodynamic, analytic and psychopathic forms.

Prevention of mental disorders

A complex system of preventive measures is of particular importance in preventing the development of mental disorders. Prevention of mental disorders should begin with regular examination and consultation with a pediatrician, as well as checking the child's psychomotor reactions.

The state of mental development should be determined by a speech therapist, child psychologist, pediatrician and defectologist. The exact diagnosis of the child and the type of mental development disorder can be determined using a diagnostic examination.

Prevention of mental development disorders is based on the use of special medical, pedagogical, psychological and social methods of checking the child. To create the right environment for mental development, a favorable correctional space is used, in which the child develops cognitive function, logical thinking and acquires learning skills.

An important prevention factor is safety, as well as medical and pedagogical consultations from the first months of pregnancy.

After the birth of a child and during the first year of his life, the first signs of mental disorders can be identified. Lack of reactions to sound and light may be the first signs of such disturbances.

In preschool children, mental developmental disorders often manifest themselves in the form of problems with speech and writing, delayed motor development and poor memory.

For effective prevention of mental development disorders, it is necessary to exclude conflicts in the family, avoid physical and psychological trauma during pregnancy, and also create a favorable environment for the development of the child.

Treatment of mental disorders

Pediatricians, psychologists, neurologists, speech therapists, psychiatrists and defectologists are involved in the treatment of mental disorders. Therapy should be aimed at the harmonious interaction of these specialists and their methods.

To prescribe the exact type of treatment, it is necessary to establish the causes of the disorders and their type. The main goal of treatment is long-term correction of the child's development.

The composition of drug therapy should include the following drugs: nootropics, vascular and anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulating. Vitamin therapy is prescribed as a supplement.

In case of mental disorders, certain types of rehabilitation are prescribed. These include:

• correction of a psychological nature, including classes with a defectologist and a psychologist, aimed at restoring cognitive function, speech and memory, emotional perception, communication and social adaptation;
• correction of the speech therapy type, including classes with a speech therapist, aimed at forming correct speech and sound formation, eliminating pronunciation defects, developing skills and abilities for meaningful speech;
• sensory exercises with a psychologist to restore sensitivity, improve perception and psychological relief;
• hardware lessons with biological feedback, aimed at training attention and memorization, the child's regulation of his own perception;
• relaxation exercises;
• physiotherapy exercises and gymnastics to stimulate physical and mental development;
• physiotherapy, including thermal, water and electrotherapy.

An important stage in the treatment of disorders of psychological development is an individual educational and developmental program for a child. This program should be developed by educators and psychologists, and should include special intellectual exercises, art assignments, music and choreographic classes.

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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!